This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of apricot tree, developed near Cream Ridge, N.J., as part of an extensive program to develop improved apricot trees having early maturing fruit of excellent dessert and canning quality.
The cultivar of this inventiton is a seedling whose parentage is known, and was selected from a block planted near Cream Ridge, N.J., in a cultivated area of other trees whose breeding records are also kept.
The new cultivar which I have chosen to designate as NJA54, was produced by crossing a seedling known as NJA2, being the seed parent, and another selection, RR17-62, being the pollen parent.
I have found during continued growth of the trees of this cultivar, that it produces a vigorous, upright tree with fruit of excellent dessert and canning quality.
The tree flowers at about the same time as the cultivar known as "Harcot" (unpatented), and the apricot fruit produced has excellent quality with a firm texture.
During the course of the several years of observing the growth it is noted that I have caused the selection to be asexually propagated by grafting on peach rootstocks at Cream Ridge, N.J.
The selected tree was of grafted material which has maintained the desired characteristics after propagation in successive generations.